Depression Understood Forums

I enjoy playings cards, word with friends, bejeweled, checking on my facebook and other silly games on my phone. Yes I admit I do it a lot, several times a day, throughout the day. It allows me to not think or deal with things for a moment. Its that few moments of stupid mindless nothing that allows me to just BREATHE and RELAX and NOT THINK. Is that wrong??? What do you do to just take a few moments and breathe while still dealing with the day to day responsibilties and people????


FYI I still take care of my responsibiltes wheather at work, home or my children.

Well...when I get the chance, ( Not very often, I'm afraid as I'm generally in work on Monday afternoons. ) I go the chess club at the local Mind centre, and play a game of chess or two. I find this is a really good way to relax and calm down and distract myself from any depressed, anxious or negative feelings that I may have.
I can play chess, but if I'm going to have any chance of winning I do need to be " mindful " of what's happening in the game, focus on my moves and those of the other player. And, getting " into the zone " as it were, being " mindful " of what's happening in a game of chess, really helps me to " centre " myself and relax. And, if I win, or even if I just play a good game against a better player, I feel better about myself and my strengths and positive qualities.
Another thing I do to " take a moment " is to watch a film or an episode of a TV series that I like, and can get absorbed in the story of.
For example, each Saturday evening I'm watching a new episode of Doctor Who. And, watching the Doctor, Amy and Rory in a new adventure, I can get so absorbed in the story and what is going to happen next, that it sometimes doesn't feel like 45 minutes at all!
Or, I re-read a favourite book or comic. Re-reading a favourite comic, for example Astro City by Kurt Busiek, is a good way for me to take a moment to breath and relax. The stories are very much about the characters that live in Astro City, and getting absorbed in an issue, or a story across a few issues, always makes me feel better about the world, and myself. Perhaps telling stories, or listening to stories being told, is a particularly " human " thing to do, and so perhaps is a good way to feel connected to other human beings?
( At the moment I'm re-reading a science fiction book, Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future by Mike Resnick. I identify quite a bit with one of the central characters, a character called Sebastian Nightingale Cain, a rather solitary man who is looking for meaning in his life...Although I'm NOT a galactic bounty hunter, of course! )

Thank you for sharing with me. I needed to hear it is completly normal and acceptable to take a moment for myself. Chess is a wonderful game, sometimes intimadating but I do enjoy the challenge. But you are right, you do need to me mindful in order to focus and win. It is the focusing on a game or something else which ironically is relaxing and calming to me, especailly when I become overwhelmed with emotions, feelings and thoughts. Thank you again TackingIntoTheWind. I appreciate your comment.

You're welcome, (((( BeautifulDisatr )))).
I do believe that it is completely normal and acceptable to take a moment for myself. Although, it is something that I am still very much learning how to do myself.
Somebody said once that it is important to remember that we are all human " be-ings " not human" do-ings ". * I'm becoming more and more convinced that, while there are obviously things that we all have to get done in our lives, it is important to give ourselves times just to be human, time for " be-ing ".

* I think this is a very insightful thought. Therefore it must come from somebody Welsh. ( Although, I can't actually back that up with anything... )